U.S. patent number 5,596,844 [Application Number 08/383,172] was granted by the patent office on 1997-01-28 for foldable portable building.
Invention is credited to Juan R. Kalinowski.
United States Patent |
5,596,844 |
Kalinowski |
January 28, 1997 |
Foldable portable building
Abstract
A foldable portable building can be collapsed to fit within the
outside dimensions of an internationally standardized (ISO) goods
container to facilitate mechanical handling and transportation. The
building comprises a rigid main support having a main floor
section, a main wall section and a main roof section. When the
building is extended, generally horizontal and planar, hingedly
interconnected floor sections and roof sections extend from the
main floor and roof sections respectively, and wall sections extend
between the said sections. The wall sections comprise an end wall
section, two first wall sections and two second wall sections which
are hingedly interconnected similarly to a bellows. When the
building is collapsed, the wall sections are located adjacent the
main wall section, the roof sections are disposed vertically on a
side of the wall sections remote from the main wall section, and
the floor sections are disposed vertically outwardly of the folded
wall and roof sections. The roof sections form a foldable roof
system comprising a base ceiling member, trusses and an outer roof
member. The trusses are parallel to each other and extend generally
across and are hinged to the base ceiling member. The outer roof
members lie on chords of the trusses. Minimal vertical space is
required for the collapsed roof system which enables a relatively
high ceiling to be obtained, and yet still fit within the
standardized container sizing.
Inventors: |
Kalinowski; Juan R. (Langley,
British Columbia, CA) |
Family
ID: |
23512022 |
Appl.
No.: |
08/383,172 |
Filed: |
February 3, 1995 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
52/79.5;
52/122.1; 52/641; 52/66; 52/67; 52/68; 52/69; 52/71; 52/92.2 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04B
1/3442 (20130101); E04B 7/163 (20130101); E04B
7/24 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
E04B
7/16 (20060101); E04B 7/24 (20060101); E04B
1/344 (20060101); E04B 7/00 (20060101); E04H
001/12 (); E04B 007/16 () |
Field of
Search: |
;52/64,66,67,68,69,70,71,79.5,90.2,92.2,641,79.1,122.1,125.2 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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2238823 |
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Feb 1975 |
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FR |
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2549420 |
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May 1976 |
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DE |
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699753 |
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Nov 1953 |
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GB |
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WO8604630 |
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Aug 1986 |
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WO |
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WO93/20297 |
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Oct 1993 |
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WO |
|
Primary Examiner: Wood; Wynn E.
Assistant Examiner: Saladino; Laura A.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Bull, Housser & Tupper
Claims
I claim:
1. A foldable portable building, comprising, when erected:
(a) a main support comprising a main floor section, a main wall
section and a main roof section, the main wall section being
supported on the main floor section and supporting the main roof
section, the sections being rigidly interconnected,
(b) a plurality of generally horizontal and planar hingedly
interconnected floor sections, including a first floor section
hingedly interconnected to the main floor section,
(c) a plurality of generally horizontal and planar hingedly
interconnected roof sections a spaced above the floor sections, and
including a first roof section hingedly interconnected to the main
roof section, and
(d) a plurality of generally vertical, hingedly interconnected wall
sections comprising at least one transversely disposed end wall
section, two first wall sections and two second wall sections, the
first and second wall sections being disposed adjacent opposite
ends of the floor sections, the first and second wall sections
having adjacent side edges hingedly connected to each other and
opposite side edges hingedly connected to the main wall section and
to the end wall section respectively to form a bellows shaped
connection, at least one of the first, second or end wall sections
being supported and guided by the floor sections as the wall
sections move between retracted and extended positions thereof,
upper edges of the wall sections being generally co-planar to each
other to support thereon the roof sections extending therebetween,
the upper edges of the wall sections being generally co-planar with
a lower surface of the main roof section of the main support, the
roof sections further comprising:
(i) at least one base ceiling member supported by the wall
sections;
(ii) a pair of outer roof members, each outer roof member being
hingedly connected to an opposite end edge of the base ceiling
member for rotation of the outer roof members about respective axes
of rotation relative to said base ceiling member; and
(iii) a plurality of trusses disposed parallel to each other to
extend generally across the base ceiling member from the opposite
end edges thereof, the trusses being hinged for rotation relative
to the base ceiling member to permit rotation of the trusses from
retracted positions thereof in which the trusses lie generally
parallel and adjacent to the base ceiling member, to extended
positions thereof in which the trusses extend vertically from the
base ceiling member, each truss having a sloping top chord reaching
an apex, wherein the trusses lie generally horizontally between the
outer roof members and the base ceiling member when in the
retracted position, and wherein the outer roof members rest on the
top chords of the trusses when the trusses are in the extended
positions thereof.
2. A building as described in claim 1, wherein the main wall
section comprises a pair of spaced opposed central wall sections,
and the lower surface of the main roof section extends
perpendicularly from the central wall sections.
3. A building as described in claim 2, wherein the main roof
section is disposed above the main floor section, the main roof
section being supported by the central wall sections and being
coplanar with the plurality of roof sections, the main roof section
having a first side edge hingedly connected to the first roof
section.
4. A building as described in claim 3, wherein said main roof
section has a second side edge disposed oppositely to the first
side edge and hingedly connected to an additional first roof
section of the plurality of roof sections on an opposite side of
said building from the first roof section.
5. A building as described in claim 1 wherein the main floor
section is located to be coplanar with the plurality of floor
sections and is connected to and supporting the central wall
sections.
6. A building as claimed in claim 5, wherein the first floor
section has one side edge hingedly connected to the main floor
section, and a second floor section of the plurality of floor
sections is hingedly connected to an opposite side edge of the
first floor section.
7. A building as described in claim 6, wherein the main floor
section has a first side edge hingedly connected to the first floor
section.
8. A building as described in claim 7, wherein the main floor
section has a second side edge opposite the first side edge of the
main floor section, the second side edge being hingedly connected
to an additional first floor section of the plurality of floor
sections located on an opposite side of the building from the first
floor section.
9. A building as described in claim 8, wherein distance between the
first and second side edges of the main floor section is greater
than distance between first and second side edges of the main roof
section.
10. A building as described in claim 9, wherein difference in the
distance between the first and second side edges of the main floor
section and the distance between the first and second side edges of
the main roof section is equal to or greater than twice thicknesses
of the second floor section plus the first roof section.
11. A building as described in claim 1, wherein each of said
plurality of floor sections has a longitudinal groove extending
perpendicularly to side edges of the respective floor section, and
wherein the end wall section includes an extension extending from a
lower edge of the end wall section, the extension being constrained
to move within the groove for guiding the end wall section as the
end wall section moves between retracted and extended positions
thereof.
12. A building as described in claim 1, wherein each of the floor
sections has a pair of longitudinal grooves extending
perpendicularly to respective side edges of the floor section, and
wherein a pair of extensions extend from opposite sides of a lower
edge of the end wall section, said extensions being constrained to
move within the grooves for guiding said end wall section as the
wall sections move between the retracted and extended positions
thereof.
13. A building as described in claim 1, wherein a plurality of
trusses are confined within the periphery of the roof sections.
14. A building as described in claim 13, wherein the outer roof
members extend from respective edges of the base ceiling member
towards an opposite edge of the base ceiling member a distance
greater than one-half the distance between the said edges of the
base ceiling member, and wherein distal portions of the outer roof
members of each roof section are adapted to overlie one another
when in the retracted position, and wherein the distal portions of
the outer roof members abut each other when the outer roof members
are supported by the top chords of the trusses when the trusses are
in the extended positions thereof.
15. A building as described in claim 14, further comprising an apex
cap member extending along the abutting edges of the outer roof
members to form a weather-resistant seal along the abutting
edges.
16. A building as described in claim 1, further comprising a
plurality of C-shaped temporary support members for generally
vertical connection between a roof section and a floor section to
temporarily support said roof section horizontally and spaced above
the floor section as the wall sections move between the retracted
and extended positions thereof.
17. A foldable roof system for a structure, in which the roof
system can be erected from a retracted position thereof, the system
comprising:
(a) a base ceiling member adapted to be supported generally
horizontally and having an edge,
(b) a plurality of trusses disposed parallel to each other to
extend generally across the base ceiling member from the said edge
thereof, the trusses being hinged for rotation relative to the base
ceiling member to permit rotation of the trusses from retracted
positions thereof in which the trusses lie generally parallel and
adjacent to the base ceiling member, to extended positions thereof
in which the trusses extend upwardly from the base ceiling member,
each truss having at least one sloping top chord, and
(c) an outer roof member having a proximal portion hingedly
connected to the said edge of the base ceiling member so that, when
the roof system is retracted, the outer roof member is generally
parallel to the base ceiling member and the trusses are in the
retracted positions thereof and interposed between the outer roof
member and the base ceiling member and, when the roof system is
erected, the trusses are rotated to the extended positions thereof,
and the outer roof member is rotated to be supported by the top
chords of the trusses so as to be inclined at an angle to the base
ceiling member.
18. A roof system as claimed in claim 17, in which:
(a) the trusses are hinged for rotation relative to the base
ceiling members about respective truss hinges, and
(b) the outer roof members are hinged for rotation about respective
roof member hinges disposed perpendicularly to the truss
hinges.
19. A foldable roof system for a structure, in which the roof
system can be erected from a retracted position thereof, the system
comprising:
(a) at least one base ceiling member supportable generally
horizontally and having respective oppositely located edges,
(b) a plurality of trusses hingedly connected to the base ceiling
member, the trusses being disposed parallel to each other to extend
generally across the respective base ceiling member between the
respective edges thereof, the trusses being hinged for rotation
relative to the respective base ceiling member to permit rotation
of the trusses from retracted positions thereof in which the
trusses lie generally parallel and adjacent to the respective base
ceiling member to extended positions thereof in which the trusses
extend upwardly from the respective base ceiling member, each truss
having at least one sloping top chord, and
(c) at least one pair of outer roof members, each pair of outer
roof members having proximal portions hingedly connected to
opposite edges of the respective base ceiling member, so that when
the roof system is retracted, the outer roof members are generally
parallel to the respective base ceiling member, and the trusses are
in retracted positions thereof and interposed between the outer
roof members and the respective base ceiling member, and distal
portions of each pair of outer roof members overlap each other, and
when the roof system is erected, the trusses are rotated to the
extended positions thereof and the outer roof members of a
particular pair of outer roof members are rotated to be supported
by the top chords of the trusses so as to be inclined at respective
angles to the respective base ceiling member, with the distal
portions of each pair of outer roof members being generally
adjacent each other at an uppermost position of the roof.
20. A roof system as claimed in claim 19, in which:
(a) each truss has a pair of sloping top chords.
21. A roof system as claimed in claim 20, in which:
(a) the sloping top chords of each truss meet at an apex, and
(b) a longitudinal apex cap extends along and is connected to the
adjacent distal portions of the outer roof members to overlie the
apex of each truss.
22. A roof system as claimed in claim 19, in which:
(a) the trusses are hinged for rotation relative to the base
ceiling members about respective truss hinges, and
(b) the outer roof members are hinged for rotation about respective
roof member hinges disposed perpendicularly to the truss
hinges.
23. A foldable portable building, comprising, when folded:
(a) a main support comprising a main floor section, a main wall
section and a main roof section, the main wall section being
supported on the main floor section and supporting the main roof
section, the sections being rigidly interconnected and the main
floor section defining a bottom of a parallelepiped box-shaped
container,
(b) a plurality of generally vertical, hingedly interconnected
floor sections including a first floor section hingedly
interconnected to the main floor section and extending vertically
from the main floor section to define one side of the box-shaped
container, the side being essentially unobstructed,
(c) a plurality of generally vertical, hingedly interconnected wall
sections comprising at least one transversely disposed end wall
section, two first wall sections and two second wall sections, the
first and second wall sections having adjacent side edges hingedly
connected to each other and opposite side edges hingedly connected
to the main wall section and to the end wall section respectively
to form a bellows shaped connection; the first, second and end wall
sections having upper and lower edges closely adjacent the main
roof section and the main floor section respectively, and the first
wall sections being closely adjacent the main wall section, and
(d) a plurality of generally vertical, hingedly interconnected roof
sections, including a first roof section hingedly interconnected to
the main roof section, the plurality of roof sections being located
on a side of the plurality of wall sections remote from the main
wall section so that the plurality of roof sections are interposed
between the wall sections and the floor sections.
wherein,
(i) the first floor section has a normal interior surface and an
oppositely facing normal exterior surface, which face upwardly and
downwardly respectively when the building is erected, and face
inwardly and outwardly respectively when the building is collapsed,
so as to protect the interior surface of the first floor section
when the building is collapsed,
(ii) the plurality of floor sections include a second floor section
which is hingedly connected to the first floor section, the second
floor section having a normal interior surface and an oppositely
facing normal exterior surface, which face upwardly and downwardly
respectively when the building is erected, and face outwardly and
inwardly respectively when the building is collapsed, so that the
interior surfaces of the first and second floor sections face each
other when the building is collapsed, and
(iii) the plurality of roof sections include a second roof section
hingedly interconnected to the first roof section, the first and
second roof sections having normal interior ceiling surfaces which
face downwardly when the building is erected, and face each other
when the building is collapsed,
so as to maintain distinct separation between the interior floor
and ceiling surfaces thus reducing contamination therebetween.
24. A building as described in claim 23, in which:
(a) the plurality of generally vertical, hingedly interconnected
wall sections further comprise, on an opposite side of the main
support, an additional transversely disposed end wall section, two
additional first wall sections and two additional second wall
sections, the additional first and second wall sections having
adjacent side edges hingedly connected to each other and opposite
side edges hingedly connected to the opposite side of the main wall
section, and to the additional end wall section respectively to
form a bellows shaped connection; the additional wall sections
having upper and lower edges closely adjacent the main roof section
and the main floor section respectively, and the additional first
wall sections are closely adjacent the opposite side of the main
wall section, so as to provide two separate groups of
interconnected wall sections, one such group being located on each
side of the main wall section,
(b) the plurality of generally vertical, hingedly interconnected
roof sections further comprise, on an opposite side of the main
support, additional interconnected roof sections including an
additional first roof section hingedly interconnected to an
opposite side of the main roof section so as to provide two groups
of interconnected roof sections, one such group being located on
each outer side of the two groups of wall sections remote from the
main wall section, and
(c) the plurality of hingedly interconnected floor sections further
comprise, on an opposite side of the main support, additional
interconnected floor sections including an additional first floor
section hingedly interconnected to an opposite side of the main
floor section to provide two groups of interconnected floor
sections, one such group being located on each outer side of the
two groups of roof sections remote from the main wall section, so
that the two groups of floor sections are located outwardly of the
two groups of roof sections, and the roof sections are located on
each side of the main wall section and disposed between the wall
sections and floor sections located on each side of the main wall
section, and the first floor section and additional first floor
section define opposite sides of the box-shaped container, the
sides being essentially unobstructed.
25. A building as described in claim 23, in which each roof section
comprises:
(a) at least one base ceiling member,
(b) an outer roof member hingedly connected to an edge of the base
ceiling member for rotation of the outer roof member about an axis
of rotation relative to the said base ceiling member, and
(c) a plurality of trusses disposed parallel to each other to
extend generally across the base ceiling member between opposite
edges thereof, the trusses being hinged for rotation between
extended and retracted positions thereof relative to the base
ceiling member,
so that when the roof section is retracted, the trusses are
interposed between the respective outer roof member and the base
ceiling member.
26. A building as described in claim 25, in which:
(a) the trusses are hinged for rotation relative to the base
ceiling members about truss hinges, and
(b) the outer roof member is hinged for rotation about a roof
member hinge disposed perpendicularly to the truss hinges.
27. A building as described in claim 23, in which the roof sections
comprise:
(a) a plurality of hingedly interconnected base ceiling members
having respective oppositely located edges,
(b) a plurality of trusses hingedly connected to each said base
ceiling member, the trusses being disposed parallel to each other
to extend generally across the respective base ceiling members
between the respective edges thereof, the trusses being hinged for
rotation between extended and retracted positions thereof relative
to the respective base ceiling member, and
(c) a plurality of pairs of outer roof members, each pair of outer
roof members having proximal portions hingedly connected to the
opposite edges of the respective base ceiling member,
so that when the roof sections are retracted, the trusses are
interposed between the respective outer roof members and the
respective base ceiling members.
28. A building as claimed in claim 27 in which:
(a) the trusses are hinged for rotation relative to the base
ceiling member about respective truss hinges, and
(b) the outer roof members are hinged for rotation about respective
roof member hinges disposed perpendicularly to the truss
hinges.
29. A building as described in claim 23, wherein the dimensions and
handling characteristics of the container are compatible with an
ISO 1AA, 1BB, 1CC or a "high cube" container.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a pre-fabricated, foldable, portable
building which retracts to a parallelepiped box-like structure
having an external shape, dimensions, handling, securing, and
external load capacity which are compatible to most series 1AA,
1BB, and 1CC I.S.O. freight containers, or to a standard "high
cube" shipping container.
2. Discussion Of the Prior Art
Pre-fabricated, foldable, portable building structures have been
developed to enable shipment of structures in a collapsed form
while facilitating the erection of those buildings. One objective
in developing pre-fabricated, foldable, portable buildings is to
provide for maximum square footage of erected structure while
retaining a minimum volume of the structure in its collapsed form
for shipping purposes. This avoids the unnecessary transportation
of air volume within the structure, resulting in more economical
transportation of such structures. At the same time, hingedly
joining components of the structure to fold when collapsed
facilitates erection of these structures at the erection site by
unskilled labour at considerable cost and time saving.
The successful development and introduction of containerized
transportation, involving the loading of fixed dimension containers
aboard land, sea, and air modes of transportation specially adapted
for standard container sizes, has provided considerable cost
benefit and generally provides safer and quicker world wide freight
transportation. The I.S.O. freight containers have been universally
adopted by most modern modes of transportation, and practically
every country in the world is now capable of handling and
delivering such containers, making it possible to ship I.S.O.
freight containers to practically any destination in the world.
Given the benefits associated with containerized transportation,
the development of a pre-fabricated, foldable, portable building
which is collapsible to fit within the outside dimensions of
shipping containers meeting I.S.O standards is desirable. However,
one problem associated with the development of a pre-fabricated,
foldable, portable building which is collapsible to fit within the
outside dimensions of an I.S.O. shipping container is the fact that
the most popular I.S.O. shipping containers have an overall height
of approximately eight and one-half feet. At the same time, it is
desirable to provide an erected portable building having an
interior ceiling height of at least seven and one-half feet from
the floor, dictated by basic anthropometric and related
construction standards. The difficulty arises with the inclusion of
a sloping roof to such a building. In order to accommodate trusses
which support a sloping roof of desired pitch in a building having
a ceiling height of at least seven and one-half feet and a floor
assembly thickness of at least six inches, an overall height in
excess of eight and one-half feet must be accommodated, thereby
exceeding standard I.S.O. container height. The distance between
the ceiling and the peak of the roof extends the height
substantially greater than eight and one-half feet and thereby
greater than the maximum height dimensions of a standard shipping
container.
A portable building having a sloping roof with extending roof
trusses is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,348,344 of L. Tatevossian.
The Tatevossian building provides for a rigid central roof
extension above the ceiling to accommodate the trusses to support a
sloping roof. If the ceiling height of the structure is at least
seven and one-half feet, the upwardly extending trusses and floor
thickness will make the height of the collapsed building
substantially greater than the eight and one-half foot maximum
height of an ISO shipping container. The apex of the upwardly
extending trusses form the upper edge of the main support. This
upper edge is substantially higher than the upper edges of the side
wall panels which support the ceiling panels.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a pre-fabricated, foldable,
portable building which, in its collapsed, folded position, is of
an external shape, dimension and is appropriately configured to be
compatible with series 1AA, 1BB and 1CC ISO freight containers, or
to standard "high cube" shipping containers. This permits
transportation and freight handling by almost every modern
intermodal mode of freight transportation, to any destination, at a
reasonable cost. At the same time, the foldable nature of such
buildings permits ease of assembly at the site in a short time,
with conventional, manually operated tools, without the need for
skilled labour or heavy equipment. Because the building structure
makes up most of the walls and the floor of the collapsed
container-sized building, after installation, there is little or no
residual waste materials or packaging and no returnable components
or containers, which further significantly reduces transportation
and handling costs and load on the environment.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a pre-fabricated, foldable, portable
building which, when in a collapsed, folded condition, has an
external shape and dimensions to fit within an envelope of an
internationally standardised goods container. In particular, the
invention, when folded, is appropriately configured to be
compatible with storage and handling characteristics of series 1AA,
1BB, and 1CC ISO, or standard "High Cube" shipping containers.
Thus, when the invention is folded there are significant cost
reductions in transportation and handling, which can be effected by
almost any modern mode of freight transportation..Because the
collapsed building is easily transportable it can be made
efficiently using modern mass production methods in a factory. In
addition, structural parts are located to reduce waste of space
within the envelope of the container so that most utility
accessories found in a conventional house can be shipped within the
container when in its collapsed state. When the container has been
positioned and levelled on the site, the building can be erected
quickly and easily, using a small number of unskilled workers on
site. It is noted that the resulting erected building has a sloped
roof for shedding precipitation, and a ceiling height of at least
seven and one half feet, so that living space within the building
is not unduly compromised by fitting within a conventional
container.
A foldable portable building according to the invention comprises,
when erected, a main support, a plurality of generally horizontal
and planar hingedly interconnected floor sections, a plurality of
generally horizontal and planar hingedly interconnected roof
sections, and a plurality of generally vertical, hingedly
interconnected wall sections. The main support comprises a main
floor section, a main wall section and a main roof section, the
wall section being supported on the main floor section and
supporting the main roof section, the sections being rigidly
interconnected. The floor sections include a first floor section
hingedly interconnected to the main floor section. The roof
sections are spaced above the floor sections and include a first
roof section hingedly interconnected to the main roof section. The
wall sections comprise at least one transversely disposed end wall
section, two first wall sections and two second wall sections, the
first and second wall sections being disposed adjacent opposite
ends of the floor sections. The first and second wall sections have
adjacent side edges hingedly connected to each other, and opposite
side edges hingedly connected to the main- wall section and to the
end wall section respectively similarly to a bellows. At least one
of the first, second or end wall sections are supported and guided
by the floor sections as the wall sections move between retracted
and extended positions thereof. Upper edges of the wall sections
are generally coplanar to each other to support thereon the roof
sections extending therebetween. The upper edges of the wall
sections are generally co-planer with a lower surface of the main
roof section of the main support.
The roof sections further comprise at least one base ceiling member
supported by the wall sections, a pair of outer roof members, and a
plurality of trusses. Each outer roof member is hingedly connected
to an opposite end edge of the base ceiling member for rotation of
the outer roof members about respective axes of rotation relative
to the said base ceiling member. The trusses are disposed parallel
to each other to extend generally across the base ceiling member
from the opposite edges thereof. The trusses are hinged for
rotation relative to the base ceiling member to permit rotation of
the trusses from retracted positions thereof in which the trusses
lie generally parallel and adjacent to the base ceiling member, to
extended positions thereof in which the trusses extend vertically
from the base ceiling member. Each truss has a sloping top chord
reaching an apex, wherein the trusses lie generally horizontally
between the outer roof members and the base ceiling member when in
the retracted position, and wherein the outer roof members rest on
the top chords of the trusses when the trusses are in the extended
positions thereof.
Preferably, the main wall section comprises a pair of spaced
opposed central wall sections, and the lower surface of the main
roof section extends perpendicularly from the central wall
sections. Also, the main roof section is disposed above the main
floor section and is supported by the central wall sections and is
co-planar with the plurality of roof sections, the main roof
section having a first side edge hingedly connected to the first
roof section. Also, the main roof section has a second side edge
disposed oppositely to the first side edge and hingedly connected
to an additional first roof section of the plurality of roof
sections on an opposite side of said building from the first roof
section.
A foldable roof system according to the invention can be erected
from a retracted position thereof, and the system comprises a base
ceiling member, a plurality of trusses, and an outer roof member.
The base ceiling member is adapted to be supported generally
horizontally and has an edge. The trusses are disposed parallel to
each other to extend generally across the base ceiling member from
the said edge thereof. The trusses are hinged for rotation relative
to the base ceiling member to permit rotation of the trusses from
retracted positions thereof in which the trusses lie generally
parallel and adjacent to the base ceiling member, to extended
positions thereof in which the trusses extend upwardly from the
base ceiling member. Each truss has at least one sloping top chord.
The outer roof member has a proximal portion hingedly connected to
the said edge of the base ceiling member so that when the roof
system is retracted, the outer roof member is generally parallel to
the base ceiling panel and the trusses are in the retracted
positions thereof and interposed between the outer roof member and
the base ceiling member. When the roof system is erected, the
trusses are rotated to the extended positions thereof, and the
outer roof member is rotated to be supported by the sloping top
chords of the trusses so as to be inclined at an angle to the base
ceiling member.
A foldable roof system according to the invention can be erected
from a retracted position thereof and comprises a plurality of
interconnected base ceiling members, a plurality of trusses, and a
plurality of pairs of outer roof members. The base ceiling members
are supportable generally horizontally and have respective
oppositely located edges. The trusses are hingedly connected to
each base ceiling member, the trusses being disposed parallel to
each other to extend generally across the respective base ceiling
member between the respective edges thereof. The trusses are hinged
for rotation relative to the respective base ceiling member to
permit rotation of the trusses from retracted positions thereof in
which the trusses lie generally parallel and adjacent to the
respective base ceiling member, to extended positions thereof in
which the trusses extend upwardly from the respective base ceiling
member. Each truss has at least one sloping top chord. Each pair of
outer roof members has proximal portions hingedly connected to
opposite edges of the respective base ceiling member, so that when
the roof system is retracted, the outer roof members are generally
parallel to the respective base ceiling member, and the trusses are
in retracted positions thereof and interposed between the roof
members and the respective base ceiling members, and distal
portions of each pair of outer roof members overlap each other.
When the roof system is erected, the trusses are rotated to the
extended positions thereof and the outer roof members of a
particular pair of outer roof members are rotated to be supported
by the sloping top chords of the trusses so as to be inclined at
respective angles to the respective base ceiling members, with the
distal portions of each pair of outer roof member being generally
adjacent each other at an uppermost position of the roof.
A foldable portable building according to the invention comprises,
when folded, a main support, a plurality of generally vertical,
hingedly interconnected roof sections, a plurality of generally
vertical, hingedly interconnected wall sections, and plurality of
generally vertical, hingedly interconnected roof sections. The main
support comprises a main floor section, a main wall section and a
main roof section, the main wall section being supported on the
main floor section and supporting the main roof section. The
sections are rigidly interconnected and the main floor section
defines a bottom of a parallelepiped box-like container. The floor
sections include a first floor section hingedly interconnected to
the main floor section and extending vertically from the main floor
section to define one side of the box-like container, the side
being essentially unobstructed. The wall sections comprise at least
one transversely disposed end wall section, two first wall sections
and two second wall sections. The first and second wall sections
have adjacent side edges hingedly connected to each other and
opposite side edges hingedly connected to the main wall section and
to the end wall section respectively similarly to a bellows. The
first, second and end wall sections have upper and lower edges
closely adjacent the main roof section and the main floor section
respectively, and the first wall sections are closely adjacent the
main wall section. The roof sections include a first roof section
hingedly interconnected to the main roof section. The plurality of
roof sections are located on a side of the plurality of wall
sections remote from the main wall section so that the plurality of
roof sections are interposed between the wall sections and the
floor sections.
A detailed disclosure following, related to drawings, describes a
preferred embodiment of the invention which is capable of
expression in structure other than that particularly described and
illustrated.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a fully collapsed container-sized
foldable portable building of the present invention with the
support piers positioned for supporting the expanded building.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the building of FIG. 1 with the
ceiling and floor panels partially expanded.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the building of FIG. 1 with the
floor and ceiling panels expanded and the wall panels partially
expanded.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the building of FIG. 1 showing some
of the collapsible roof trusses and roof panels hingedly connected
to the base ceiling panel of the roof sections, to form a sloping
roof.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the building of FIG. 1 in its fully
erected position.
FIG. 6 a top schematic plan view of the building of FIG. 1 in its
fully collapsed position to fit within the dimensions of a standard
container.
FIG. 6A is a close-up view of FIG. 6.
FIG. 7 is a side schematic view taken along line 7--7 of FIG.
6.
FIG. 7A is a close-up view of FIG. 7.
FIG. 8 is a top schematic view of the building of FIG. 1 with all
the floor panels erected.
FIG. 9 is a side schematic view taken along line 9--9 of FIG.
8.
FIG. 10 is a side schematic view of the building of FIG. 1 showing
the ceiling panels fully erected.
FIG. 11 is a top schematic view of the building of FIG. 1 with
bellows-type walls fully extended.
FIG. 12 is a side schematic view taken along line 12--12 of FIG.
11.
FIG. 13 is a side schematic view of the building of FIG. 1 showing
roof truss members fully erected.
FIG. 14 is an end schematic view taken along line 14--14 of FIG. 13
showing the extension of the trusses into their extended position
to form a support for the sloping roof panels in its fully
position.
FIG. 15 is a close-up sectional view of the connection of the wall
panels to the outer corner of the roof panel and floor panel.
FIG. 16 is a close-up perspective view of the comer fitting
connectors of the building of FIG. 1.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, there is shown generally a
foldable portable building 20 in its packed, non-erected state.
Building 20 defines a parallelepiped shape of a size equivalent to
the size of an I.S.O. type 1AA, 1BB, 1CC freight container or
standard "high cube" shipping container having generally the
following standard overall dimensions:
______________________________________ Length Width Height ft. in.
ft. in. ft. in. ______________________________________ 1AA 40 0 8 0
8 6 1BB 29 111/4 8 0 8 6 1CC 19 101/2 8 0 8 6 high cube 40 0 8 0 9
0 40 0 8 0 9 6 ______________________________________
Building 20, in its retracted or folded state, is reinforced at its
edges by two top end edge supports 22, two top side edge supports
24, two bottom end edge supports 23 and two bottom side edge
supports 25. Supports 22, 23, 24 and 25 are bolt connected to comer
fitting connectors 26 shown in detail in FIG. 16, positioned in
accordance with standard container specifications for use in
carrying and facilitating loading and unloading of the
container-sized collapsed building 20.
Referring to FIG. 16, comer fitting connectors 26 include corner
fitting 160 with openings 162 which are dimensioned and positioned
to permit insertion of forklift tines, and the like, in order to
permit lifting of building 20 by suitable equipment used to
transport, load and unload containers. Corner fitting connector 26
includes three angled members 164 extending therefrom in a manner
to form corners of collapse building 20. Angled members 164 include
a plurality of bolt openings 166 to accept bolts (not shown)
therethrough for interconnection with adjacent top end edge
supports 22 and top side edge supports 24, and as well adjacent
bottom end edge supports 23 and bottom side edge supports 25. In
this way corner fittings connector 26, are rigidly connected to
supports 22, 23, 24 and 25 to form a rigid frame about collapsed
building 20 to provide protection and to permit handling of
building 20 in the same manner as a standard I.S.O. or "high cube"
shipping container.
When collapsed, building 20 includes reinforced top face or cover
28, reinforced bottom face (not shown), a pair of opposed
reinforced end faces or covers 30, and a pair of opposed side faces
32 the covers 28 and 30 and the faces 32, as well as the bottom
face, act to contain the contents of building 20 and act to protect
the contents during shipping. In addition, as will be discussed
below, faces 32 and the bottom face, are a part of the integral
structure of the building 20 and unfold as a part of the erection
process. As can be appreciated, the folded building 20, when in its
unerected state as depicted in FIG. 1, may be transported anywhere,
and by any means, suitable for container transportation.
Container-sized building 20 will usually arrive at the building
erection site by means of land vehicle transportation, such as a
flat bed truck or a truck equipped for transporting containers.
Building 20 is taken off of the vehicle as one unitary block by any
suitable means appropriate to movement of containers. While
building 20 may be erected on a concrete pad or other foundation
base, including earth or gravel, it is preferred, in order to
facilitate levelling of the floor and to simplify the foundation
work, to erect building 20 on a plurality of adjustable screw jacks
or piers 34. Preferably, four of the piers 34 are placed at the
four lower comers of the collapsed containerized building 20. A
pair of piers 34 is placed outwardly in the direction of the
hinging extension of the floor generally positioned at the ends of
the outer edge of the first floor member. A second pair of piers 34
are positioned outwardly from the first pair of piers 34 at the
ends of the outer edge of the second floor member. Similarly, on
the other side of containerized building 20, a further set of four
piers are positioned to support the expanded first and second floor
sections. Containerized building 20 is placed on the four central
piers 34 positioned at the four corners of the containerized
building 20.
Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, the fully collapsed portable building
20 is shown in top and side views with temporary end faces 30
defining the outer ends of the containerized building 20. Side
faces 32 of first floor section 36 define the outer sides of the
containerized building 20. First floor sections 36 are oriented
vertically and disposed outwardly of edges of the main floor
section 38 and the main roof section 56 (as seen best in FIG.
7A).
In order to erect building 20, top and bottom comer fitting
connectors 26 are removed. Top edge supports 22 remain on building
20 temporarily, to facilitate a safe and orderly erection
process.
Referring to FIGS. 2, 8 and 9, each first floor section 36 is
hingedly connected to the side edges 40 of main floor section 38 at
hinges 42. Side face 32, which defines the outer side wall of the
collapsed building 20, forms the lower face of the first floor
section 36. First floor section 36 is moved to its erected position
by rotating section 36 through an angle of 90.degree., from a
vertical position to a horizontal position, about hinge 42 in the
direction of arrow 43, to rest in the same plane as the main floor
section 38. Second floor section 44 is hingedly connected to the
adjacent first floor section 36 by hinge 46. Second floor section
44 rotates from a vertical, collapsed position to a horizontal
position on movement of first floor section 36 about hinge 42 to
its horizontal erected position. Once the first floor section 36
has been lowered, its outer edge 48 rests on a pair of piers 34
positioned at the ends of outer edge 48.
Second floor section 44 is then rotated about hinge 46 in the
direction of arrow 45 through an angle of 180.degree. to a
horizontal position extending laterally, and in the same plane as,
first floor section 36. The ends of outer edge 50 of second floor
section 44 rest on a pair of outer piers positioned generally
adjacent the ends of edge 50. These steps are repeated on the other
side of main floor section 38 with an equivalent set of first and
second floor sections 36 and 44 to completely unfold and erect the
floor sections 36 and 44 on each side of main floor section 38.
Thus, when erected, the building has a floor comprised of a
plurality of generally horizontal and planar, i.e. within a plane,
hingedly interconnected floor sections.
Referring to FIGS. 2 and 10, erection of the roof sections will now
be discussed. As can be seen in FIG. 10, first roof section 52 and
second roof section 54 are initially suspended vertically from main
roof section 56. First and second roof sections 52 and 54 are
retained in position when building 20 is in its collapsed state by
floor sections 36 and 44 (see FIG. 7). Main roof section 56 is, in
turn, supported by a pair of opposed main central wall sections 58
which are attached to main floor section 38 adjacent the end edges
60 (FIG. 8) of main floor section 38. Main roof section 56, the two
central wall sections 58 and the main floor section 38 form a main
support and rigid central structure. The side edges 62 (FIG. 9) of
main roof section 56 are hingedly attached to first roof section 52
by means of hinges 64 provided at a lower corner of main roof
section 56. First roof section 52 is supported by the main roof
section by means of hinge 64. Main roof section 56 is supported by
central wall sections 58 within a generally horizontal plane spaced
above main floor section 38.
To erect the roof of the building 20, first roof section 52 is
rotated in the direction of arrow 53 upwardly through 900 to a
horizontal position about hinge 64 and is supported temporarily by
C-shaped supports 66 inserted into openings in both end edges 68 of
first roof section 52 and end edges of the floor section 36.
Support 66 is C-shaped to avoid impinging on the hinging action of
second roof section 54 and the expansion of the wall section. First
roof section 52 is suspended horizontally in a spaced relationship
above first floor section 36 in the same horizontal plane as the
main roof section 56.
Second roof section 54 is then rotated in the direction of arrow 55
outwardly through 180.degree. to a horizontal position by rotation
about hinge 70. A second set of C-shaped temporary supports 72 are
inserted into openings in end edges 74 (FIG. 2) of second roof
section 54 and end edges 75 of the floor sections 44. Second roof
section 54 is thereby supported and suspended above second floor
section 44 by temporary supports 72. Supports 72 are C-shaped, as
with supports 66, to avoid impinging on expansion of the wall
sections to their erected positions. Second roof section 54 is
suspended in the same horizontal plane as sections 56 and 52.
Similarly, an opposite first roof section 52 and second roof
section 54 extend from the other side edge of main roof section 56
and are unfolded into position in the same manner as the first set
of first and second roof sections 52 and 54. Thus when erected the
building has a plurality of generally horizontal and planar,
hingedly interconnected roof sections spaced above the floor
sections.
Referring now to FIGS. 3, 6A, 11 and 12, the unfolding and erection
of the walls of building 20 will be discussed. Referring initially
to FIG. 11, the walls are extended by moving end wall section 76
outwardly from main floor section 38 in the direction of arrows 78.
The end edges 80 of end wall section 76 are stepped and hingedly
connected to the outer edge of second wall section 82 by means of
hinges 84. First wall section 86 is, in turn, hingedly connected at
its outer edge to second wall section 82 by means of hinge 88 and
at its inner edge to wall section 58 by means of hinge 89. It can
be seen that movement of end wall section 76 in the direction of
arrows 78 will cause wall sections 82 and 86 to move from their
retracted position above main floor section 38 and parallel with
end wall section 76 to an extended position perpendicular to end
wall section 76 and in the same vertical plane as central wall
section 58. Movement of end wall section 76 in the direction of
arrows 78 will move hinges 88 and the attached edges of sections 82
and 86 in the direction of arrows 90. When end wall section 76 is
extended to its end position adjacent the outer edge 50 (FIG. 2),
wall sections 82 and 86 will be oriented in vertical alignment in
the same vertical plane to form linear vertical walls along the end
edges of floor sections 36, 38 and 44. Temporary supports 66 and
72, holding roof sections 52 and 54 above extended wall sections 82
and 86, may then be removed and the roof sections 52 and 54 are
then supported by wall sections 76, 82 and 86. Similarly, on the
side opposite main floor section 38, wall sections 76, 82 and 86
may be extended and temporary supports 66 and 72 removed, to permit
wall sections 76, 82 and 86 to support roof sections 52 and 54.
See, in particular, FIG. 3, which depicts the bellows-like movement
of wall sections 76, 82 and 86 on both sides of section 38 to the
extended position.
In order to facilitate the bellows-like expansion of wall sections
76, 82 and 86 between the retracted and expanded positions of the
wall sections, a pair of parallel spaced linear aligned grooves 92
are formed adjacent and parallel to the end edges of floor sections
38, 36 and 44 (FIGS. 3 and 8) i.e. perpendicularly to the side
edges of the said floor sections. As seen in close-up in FIG. 15,
grooves 92 guide wall sections by means of downwardly extending
ball guiding member 94 extending downwardly from the lower face of
end wall section 76 adjacent the outer edge of wall sections
76.
Referring to FIG. 6A, the adjacent edges of wall sections 86 and 82
are shown connected by hinge 88. In order to provide a
weather-resistant seal, inner edges 146 and 148 are generally
L-shaped to provide an off-set abutting edge to minimize seepage of
water and other foreign material through the adjacent inner edges
into the erected dwelling. To further facilitate the sealing
engagement of adjacent inner edges 146 and 148, an L-shaped gasket
(not shown) is positioned along a portion of adjacent inner edge
146 of wall section 82. Flat gasket (not shown) is placed along a
portion of the inner edge of 148 of wall section 86. When the wall
sections are in the fully erected position, in co-planar alignment,
a portion of gasket overlies in sealing relationship to form a
fight weather-resistant seal between these L-shaped members.
Preferably, the gasket members are of resilient rubber-like
construction to assist in the sealing of adjacent inner edges 146
and 148 of wall sections 82 and 86, respectively. Similar gasket
members are used in the sealing of the other wail edges.
In summary, it can be seen that an important feature of the
building relates to the main support disposed centrally of the
building and comprising the main floor section 38, the main roof
section 56, and the two central wall sections 58 supported on the
main floor section and supporting the main roof section. For
convenience of terminology, particularly in the claims, the two
central wall sections 58 are termed a main wall section. The
sections of the main support are rigidly interconnected to provide
a stable support from which all remaining structure can extend. In
addition to the two similar groups of hingedly interconnected floor
sections and roof sections which are generally horizontal and
planar when the building is erected, and disposed vertically and
stacked together when the building is collapsed, the invention also
comprises two similar groups of generally vertical, hingedly
interconnected wall sections. Similarly to the groups of floor
sections and roof sections, one group of wall sections is located
on each side of the main support to cooperate with corresponding
first and second floor sections and roof sections on each side of
the main support. The wall sections on one side of the main support
comprise a transversely disposed end wall section 76, two first
wall sections 86, and two second wall sections 82. The first and
second wall sections are disposed adjacent opposite ends of the
floor sections, and have adjacent side edges hingedly connected to
each other and opposite side hingedly connected to the main wall
section 58, and to the end wall section 76 respectively similarly
to a bellows. At least one of the first, second or end wall
sections are supported and guided by the floor sections as the wall
sections move between retracted and extended positions thereof. In
addition, upper edges of the wall sections are generally co-planar
to each other to support thereon the roof sections extending
therebetween. Clearly, the upper edges of the wall sections are
generally co-planar with a lower surface of the main roof section
of the main support.
For convenience of claim terminology, the specific roof section and
floor section which are located on one side of the main support and
directly hinged to the main roof section and the main floor section
are termed "first roof section and first floor section"
respectively, whereas the specific roof section and floor section
which are located on the opposite side of the main support and
directly hinged to the main roof section and the main floor section
are termed "additional first roof section and additional first
floor section" respectively.
The erection of the sloped roof will now be discussed with
reference to FIGS. 4, 13, 14, and 15. Roof sections 52, 54 and 56
are made up of base ceiling member 96, trusses 98 and outer roof
members 100. Trusses 98 are hingedly connected to base ceiling
member 96 at truss hinges 102 which connect trusses 98 to ceiling
joists 112. Trusses 98 are folded to lie flat against base ceiling
member 96 when in the retracted position for shipping. When in the
retracted positions, trusses 98 are sandwiched between base ceiling
member 96 and the outer roof members 100; roof member 100 and base
ceiling member 96 defining parallel planes. Proximal or lower
portions of the outer roof members 100 are hingedly attached by
hinges 101 to end beams 104 extending along end edges of the base
ceiling member 96 for hinged rotational movement of roof members
100 about a roof member hinge axis parallel with the plane of the
end edges of roof sections 52, 54 and 56. It can be seen that the
roof member hinges are disposed perpendicularly to the truss
hinges.
Following conventional practice, the outer roof members 100 are
formed from this corrugated sheets, with parallel lines of
corrugations extending normally to hinges of the outer roof
members. To enable distal portions of the outer roof members on one
side of the building to occupy minimum space when overlying distal
portions of the outer roof members on the opposite side of the
building when the outer roof members are collapsed and horizontal,
the corrugations on one side of the building are "in phase" with
those on the opposite side of the building.
In order to erect the trusses and form a sloped roof for building
20, roof members 100 must first be rotated upwardly in the
direction of arrows 106 about hinge 101. End gable 108, which is
hingedly connected to the outer edge of the base ceiling member 96,
is rotated in the direction of arrow 110 from a horizontal position
to a vertical position as depicted in FIGS. 4 and 13. Trusses 98
are then rotated about hinges 102 (FIGS. 13 and 15) from the
collapsed horizontal position through an angle of 90.degree. to the
erected vertical position in the direction of arrows 99. When in
the vertical position, trusses 98 support ceiling joists 112
extending longitudinally along base ceiling member 96 between end
edges of sections 52, 54 and 56. In their collapsed position,
joists 112 provide support for trusses 98. Once all trusses 98 have
been rotated to their vertical, erected position, roof members 100
may be lowered to rest on the top chords 114 of trusses 98. Because
top chord 114 is sloped between apex 116 and end beams 104, roof
sections will be likewise sloped away from apex 116 downwardly to
the outer edges of roof sections 52, 54 and 56. This forms a sloped
roof to facilitate drainage of water, snow and material failing on
the outer roof members 100.
Referring to FIG. 15, a close-up of the connection of the outer
roof members, trusses and wall sections is disclosed. Roof member
100 is shown hingedly connected to end beam 104 of base ceiling
member 96 of roof section 52 about hinge 101. Roof member 100
hinges at hinge 101 between the retracted position and the extended
position (shown in dotted outline). Truss 98 is shown in its
erected supporting roof member 100 position and, in dotted outline,
in its retracted position.
In summary it can be seen that the base ceiling members 96, the
trusses 98 and outer roof members 100 provide a foldable roof
system which can be erected from a retracted position and
comprises, as a minimum, one base ceiling member supported
horizontally, at least one pair of trusses hinged for rotation
relative to the base ceiling member, and at least one outer roof
member having a lower edge hingedly connected to the edge of the
base ceiling member. The trusses are disposed parallel to each
other to extend generally across the base ceiling member from the
edge thereof. The trusses are hinged for rotation relative to the
base member to permit rotation of the trusses from retracted
positions thereof in which the trusses lie generally parallel and
adjacent to the base ceiling member, to extended positions thereof
in which the trusses extend upwardly from the base ceiling member.
Each truss has at least one sloping top chord. The outer roof
member has a proximal portion, generally adjacent a lower edge
thereof, hingedly connected to the said edge of the base ceiling
member. In this way, when the roof system is retracted, the outer
roof member is generally parallel to the base ceiling panel and the
trusses are in the retracted positions thereof and interposed
between the other roof member and the base ceiling member. When the
roof system is erected, the trusses are rotated to the extended
positions thereof, and the outer roof member is rotated to be
supported by the sloping top chord of the trusses so as to be
inclined at an angle to the base ceiling member.
As depicted in FIG. 4, wall sections 82 and 86 may include windows
120 or a door 122 oriented in any suitable manner for use. It can
be seen from FIG. 11 that, when wall sections 82 and 86 are in the
collapsed position, windows 120 and door 122 are protected from
damage by end wall section 76, as well as by the collapsed roof
sections 52 and 54 and the collapsed floor sections 36 and 44.
In order to prevent water and other foreign material from leaking
into the truss area of the roof when erected, a longitudinal roof
apex cap 124 (FIGS. 5 and 14) may be fastened to the adjacent
distal or upper portions of roof members 100 to overlie apex 116.
As can be seen in FIG. 13, trusses are oriented to lie wholly
within respective roof sections 52, 54 and 56 to enable roof
sections 52, 54 and 56 to be unfolded and erected in the manner
previously described. This permits trusses 98 to lie wholly within
either roof section 52, 54 or 56.
In order to provide collapsed dimensions fitting within I.S.O. 1AA,
1BB or 1CC container sizes, sections 52 and 54 have a preferred
width of about 90 inches. The width of section 52 is the distance
between hinge 64 and hinge 70. The width of section 54 is the
distance between hinge 70 and the opposite edge of section 54. This
permits vertical suspension of sections 52 and 54 from main roof
section 56 at hinges 64 without the roof sections 52 and 54
contacting main floor section 38. As well, if the height of the
trusses, that is, the distance between the top of the ceiling joint
112 and the top of apex 116, is about 30 inches, three trusses will
fit within each of roof sections 52 and 54.
Similarly, if main roof section 56 is about 60 inches wide (i.e.,
the distance between hinges 64 on each side of main roof section
56), then exactly two of such 30 inch trusses will fit within the
main ceiling panel when the trusses are collapsed. In order to
provide support at the center of roof section 56, section 56 may
include center truss 111 which overlies truss 98 when in its
retracted position.
The slope of the roof pitch, when the trusses are in their extended
position, will depend on the length of roof sections 52, 54 and 56.
In the example of the 1CC container-sized portable building 20,
roof sections 52, 54 and 56 are each about 20 feet long. 30 inch
high trusses will provide a one to four slope.
In summary, as best seen in FIGS. 7 and 7A, when the building is
collapsed, the plurality of hingedly interconnected floor sections,
wall sections and roof sections are all disposed generally
vertically and stacked closely together to occupy a minimal volume.
The main floor section 38 defines a bottom of the parallelepiped
box-like container and normal exterior (i.e. lower) normal surfaces
of the first floor section 36 and additional first floor section 36
define opposite sides of the container. Thus, the normal interior
surfaces (i.e. upper finished floor surfaces) of the first floor
sections 36 are protected when the building is collapsed. In
addition, it is noted that the interior finished floor surfaces of
the first and second floor sections 36 and 44 face each other when
the building is folded. Similarly, the normal interior surfaces
(i.e. the downward facing finished ceiling surfaces) of the first
and second roof sections 52 and 54 also face each other when the
building is folded. Thus, the possibly soiled floor surfaces can
contact each other, and the usually relatively clean ceiling
surfaces can contact each other, thus maintaining distinct
separation between the interior floor and ceiling surfaces, and
reducing possible contamination therebetween. It is also noted that
the sides are essentially unobstructed so as to interfere minimally
with normal storage and handling of the container using
conventional equipment. The first, second and end wall sections 86,
82 and 76 respectively have upper and lower edges closely adjacent
the main roof section and the main floor section respectively. In
addition the first wall sections on each side of the main support
are closely adjacent the main wall section, that is the central
wall sections 58 located on each side of the main support. The
plurality of roof sections are located on a side of the plurality
of wall sections remote from the main wall section so that the
plurality of roof sections are interposed between the wall sections
and the floor sections on each side of the main support. It can be
seen that distance between the first and second side edges 40 of
the main floor section 38 is greater than distance between the
first and the second side edges 62 of the main roof section 56. In
fact, difference in the distance between the first and second side
edges of the main floor section and the distance between the first
and second side edges of the main roof section is equal to or
greater than twice the thicknesses of the second floor section 44
and the first roof section 52. Optical support member 130 connects
main roof section 56, central wall section 58 and main floor
section 38 together to provide additional rigidity for the main
support formed by the two central wall sections 58, the main floor
section 38, and the main roof section 56. Optional support members
130 are perpendicular to the central wall sections 58.
As can be seen best in FIG. 6, when in its collapsed form, the wall
sections 86, support member 130 and central wall sections 58 define
cavity 132 in the main support at the center portion of collapsed
building 20. Cavity 132 can be used to store various components of
building 20 for shipment. For example, pre-finished interior
partitions may be included to facilitate erection of interior
walls. As well, cavity 132 can be used to ship furniture, fixtures,
plumbing components, heating components, insulation material for
the attic, electrical components, household appliances, etc. in
order to provide an essentially self-contained building with all
necessary components contained in one container-sized collapsed
building. The support member 130 may also be fitted with plumbing
and electrical fixtures connected and attached within the cavity
132.
As a preferred alternative, as seen in FIG. 1, the top pair of end
edge supports 22 may include bolt receiving openings to control the
movement of floor sections 44 and 36 and roof sections 52 and 54
from their collapsed vertical positions to their expanded
horizontal positions. Bolt holding openings may also be used to
control the bellows-like expansion of wall sections 82, 86 and 76.
Outer openings (not shown) control movement of floor sections 36
and 44. Bolts (not shown) inserted in outer openings (not shown)
retain floor sections 36 and 44 in their vertical collapsed
position. On removal of the bolts from outer openings, floor
sections 36 and 44 are free to rotate about hinge 42 to the
horizontal position, as best depicted in FIG. 9.
Bolts (not shown) inserted into proper openings retain wall
sections 82, 86 and 76 in their collapsed position adjacent one
another in parallel planar alignment, as depicted in FIG. 10. If
the bolts are removed from outer openings, but not from inner
openings, it can be seen that a controlled erection of floor
sections 36 and 44 can occur, without interference from inadvertent
opening and expansion of wall sections 82, 86 and 76. As well,
gravity will hold roof sections 52 and 54 in vertical collapsed
alignment. After roof sections 52 and 54 are rotated to their
extended position, as depicted in FIG. 10, and upon insertion of
temporary supports 66 and 72 to retain roof sections 52 and 54 in
horizontal expanded position, bolts may be removed from inner
openings to permit bellows-like expansion of wall sections 82, 86
and 76 to the expanded position, as depicted in FIGS. 11 and 12. In
this manner, controlled expansion of the floor sections 36 and 44,
and of the wall sections 82, 86 and 76, may be undertaken in a
controlled, safe manner, without interference from other
components.
As disclosed in FIG. 5, if desired, the crawl space between the
floor sections 36, 38 and 44 may be covered by skirt member 126. As
well, steps 128 may be positioned adjacent door 122 to facilitate
entering and exiting building 20.
* * * * *